Graduate Enrollment FAQs

What is GrAdMIT?

GrAdMIT (UB's graduate online application system) is a highly
customizable web-based application system that allows students to
apply online, departments to manage applications electronically and
applicants the ability to submit unofficial transcripts and other
documents online without the need to submit paper documents.

What role does the department play?

Each academic unit at UB receives and processes applications for
graduate admission. Admission decisions are completely
decentralized. In most cases, applications are processed and
decisioned by faculty or staff in the department. These faculty and
staff can vary even down to the degree level and they are
responsible for:

Tracking/processing applications.

Ensuring applicants have submitted the required documents
online and official test scores have been received online
(including international students).

Reviewing applications and making admission decisions.

Working with International Admissions to ensure that accepted
international students have provided all the documentation
necessary for the University to issue a certificate of eligibility
for visa purposes.

Communicating with applicants during the admissions
process.

Following up on incomplete applications.

Keeping abreast of enhancements to GrAdMIT.

What role does International Admissions play?

International Admissions plays in integral role in UB's graduate
recruitment, admissions, enrollment and retention. Visit UB's International Graduate
Admissions Resource Center (IGARC) which
provides up-to-date information to academic units (departments
and schools) about the policies and procedures for admitting
international students to UB.

How does Graduate Enrollment Management Services help?

Verifying documentation for permanent residents and ensuring
their records get into hUB.

Processing applications that have been petitioned for admission
that do not meet the minimum institutional requirements.

Scheduling and distributing automated customizable
communications to applicants and accepted applicants via GrAdMIT's
Email Manager tool. (GEMS is responsible for global procedural
graduate communications. Academic units are responsible for
communicating with applicants. GEMS will help you setup and train
you how to maintain communications in Email Manager.)

Setting up new applications when new degree/certificate
programs are approved.

Working with the programmer to create enhancements/updates
based on user feedback.

Monitoring and reconciliation of errors between GrAdMIT and
hUB.

Importing professional school applicant data from national
application services into GrAdMIT.

Reporting to senior leadership, campus constituents and
responding to surveys from external agencies on graduate and
professional school admission activity.

Managing the associated electronic application fee system.

What is ePay?

This system allows students to pay their application fee and
tuition deposit online and allows academic units/departments to
track and receive electronic fee payments. GEMS assists Academic
Computing Services and accounting with the management of the online
system for application fee payment in conjunction the GrAdMIT
function. Additionally, GEMS assists with the setup of new accounts
when new degree programs are created for ePay application
activation, as well as responding to applicants who are having
difficulty using the system when they contact our office directly
with application fee ePayment issues.

How do I link application fee payments in GrAdMIT?

Use the how-to guide below to help link application fees that
were paid (you can see so in ePay) but were either not linked in
GrAdMIT or are currently linked to the incorrect application within
GrAdMIT.

If you need access to the ETS Portal, you can request access here. If you have any questions
regarding these instructions or the score linking process, please
contact Lisa Coia at lccoia@buffalo.edu.

What is Email Manager?

If you have any questions about style, the setup of emails
within this tool or need additional training, please contact Lisa
Coia at lccoia@buffalo.edu
before enabling any content within Email Manager.

Email Manager is a communication automation tool that allows
users (with appropriate permissions) to email anyone who has
started a UB application, been imported into GrAdMIT, is in the
process of applying or has newly enrolled at UB. Email Manager
access is limited to graduate enrollment managers only, as this
tool is extremely powerful. If you would like
access to Email Manager or have any questions about using Email
Manager, please contact Lisa Coia at lccoia@buffalo.edu.

Watch the Email Manager training video:

GEMS maintains an Email Manager Dictionary, which is a helpful
spreadsheet that outlines what filters are available within GrAdMIT
and how you can apply email filters in Email Manager campaigns.

What rules should I follow when emailing prospective students?

Congress signed the “Controlling the Assault of
Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003”
(“CAN-SPAM”) into law in January 2004. The purpose of
CAN-SPAM is to provide relief from unwanted spam email messages.
The law covers both unsolicited emails, as well as electronic
communications where the recipient has initiated the exchange.
Non-compliance with CAN-SPAM constitutes “unfair or deceptive
acts or practices” that may result in both criminal and civil
penalties.

There is no general exception to CAN-SPAM for nonprofits or
institutions of higher education. However, CAN-SPAM only
applies to emails that are “commercial” in
nature.

A commercial email is “any electronic mail message the
primary purpose of which is the commercial advertisement or
promotion of a commercial product or service (including content on
an internet website operated for a commercial purpose.)”
This would include emails that promote for profit or revenue
generating activities.

Examples:

Tickets for a play, movie or event where there is a charge for
admittance. It does not matter whether the event is on or off
campus.

Emails sent to prospective students. This applies even if the
prospective student initiates the email communication.

An emailing offering to sell computers, cars, furniture, etc.
This applies whether you are offering the item through your
capacity as a university employee or using your email account for
personal use.

Emails sent by an external organization on behalf of the
university. For example, a marketing or publishing company that
sends emails that contains promotions for a commercial product or
service such as an athletic event, play or exhibit.

An email that has a web link to a university site that promotes
a product or service.

CAN-SPAM only covers emails whose primary purpose is commercial.
If an email contains only commercial content, then the primary
purpose would be commercial. However, if an email contains both
commercial content and non-commercial material (i.e., transactional
or relationship content) the primary purpose is commercial if:

The subject line of the email message would lead a recipient to
conclude that the message advertises or promotes a product or
service; or

The body of the email does not set forth the message’s
transactional or relationship content at the beginning of the
message; and

A recipient’s reasonable interpretation of the body of
the email would lead the recipient to conclude that the primary
purpose of the messages is to advertise or promote a product or
service.

Factors for evaluating the body of the email include:

The placement of the commercial content in the body of the
email.

The proportion of the message that is dedicated to the
commercial content.

The color, graphics, type size and style the email used to
highlight the commercial content.

CAN-SPAM requires commercial emails have the following
characteristics:

Opt-Out Link

The body of the email must provide recipients with a clear and
conspicuous opportunity to decline (“opt-out”)
receiving future messages.

The university must honor the opt-out or unsubscribe requests
within 10 business days of receiving the request.

Valid Return Address The email must contain a valid return email address or
internet-based reply mechanism to comply with the opt-out option.
This must work for 30-days past the send date of the message.

Valid Email Information

The header and subject line must be accurate.

The subject line must accurately reflect the content of the
email.

The “from” line must be accurate. You cannot use
anonymous, fictitious or misleading addresses.

CAN-SPAM does not apply to email that is directly related to an
employment or transactional relationship or is non-commercial. A
transactional message must contain a proper routing or tracking
number.

Examples:

Human resources sending email directly related to benefit plans
in which the recipient is currently involved, participating or
enrolled. An email describing changes in benefits would be exempt,
while an email describing discounts for products or services would
require the characteristics described above. Financial Aid sending
email related to loans and grants for which the student is either
currently receiving or has applied for consideration.

An electronic message that details charges owed to the
university.

Announcements of free events or services. If any money is
collected, whether or not it is clearly indicated in the email, the
law applies and would require the characteristics described above.
Additional campus policies provide guidelines regarding the
appropriate use of communication channels for events and
services.

An electronic newsletter sent by an external organization on
behalf of the university that does not contain any solicitation or
advertisement of product or services.

While email that is clearly not commercial in nature is exempt
from the disclaimer, it may be prudent to offer individuals an
opportunity to opt-out from your list. This would not be applicable
to emails that involve a transactional relationship.

What is the Faculty Review Portal?

These components or "modules" are typically set up by graduate
enrollment managers and used by faculty to review applications
electronically. In order to setup and utilize these components you
must first have the appropriate permissions and user settings. If
you are a graduate enrollment manager and do not see options for
"App. Setup" or "App. Review Sections" in your GrAdMIT Setup menu,
please contact Lisa Coia at lccoia@buffalo.edu.

Please see the how-to guide below for information on how to
review applications in GrAdMIT.

Who should I contact if I have GrAdMIT or ePay questions?

How can I change how my program information appears on grad.buffalo.edu?

Academic program information on the web is actually controlled
and maintained within GrAdMIT. All programs that appear in the list
as well as program information details can only be updated through
GrAdMIT by those with the appropriate security access. Typically,
the designated enrollment manager from your academic unit would be
the person you should contact regarding updates.

Use the how-to guide below to learn more about how to verify and
publish GrAdMIT program information online.